Too Hard to T-Tapp? Or Too Hard Not To?
Too Hard to T-Tapp? Or Too Hard Not To?
by Charlotte Siems
Getting up in the morning was a slow process. Wake up, slowly roll over. Struggle to sit up, then put feet on the floor and brace myself for standing up. My first few steps to the bathroom were slow going, with creaky joints and sore knees. It was hard.
Fast forward. I had found a 15-minute workout called T-Tapp with all these so-called success stories. After working out a few weeks, I was encouraged by the inch loss, but it was especially challenging to an obese, out-of-shape 47-year-old mom of twelve. In the middle of a Basic Workout Plus I sat down on the edge of the bed and let the tears flow. It was hard.
We all have to do hard things.
There’s no escape from cleaning up after sick kids, getting up early after a sleepless night or figuring out how to stretch the grocery dollars. We may feel trapped by our responsibilities, but the truth is that we do have a choice.
We can choose to leave the mess after the children’s bout with stomach flu, but then of course we’re choosing the smell and the germs and the grossness.
We can choose to feel sorry for ourselves after a long night of wakefulness for whatever reason, and complain and let everyone know how tired we are, but then we’re choosing to make ourselves feel even worse by focusing on our fatigue and self-pity.
We can choose to go ahead and spend whatever we want at the grocery store but there is a price to pay for spending beyond our means.
We actually get to choose our hard things.
It’s hard to stay consistent with T-Tapp and it’s hard to stay out of shape. It’s hard to learn T-Tapp form and it’s hard to work out with no results because of form issues. It’s hard to keep going when inch loss is slow and it’s hard when six months have passed and we wish we’d kept going.
For some reason we think it will be “easier” down the road. It will be easier to put gas in the car tomorrow when it’s not raining. And it would be if we didn’t run out of gas on the way home ten minutes later.
There’s a real feeling of power when we consciously choose to do the hard thing up front. Finishing a workout and giving it our best is a feeling of strength and pride. Getting the laundry done two days before the trip is a feeling of satisfaction, not to mention the stress it avoids.
These are actually small choices, not huge, life-changing ones. They are easy to do….and easy not to do. The unavoidable truth is that the small choices do add up to life change. We just get distracted and forget that.
The choice is yours. Will you do your workout today? Or will you tell yourself “next week?”
Hmm, let’s see—which do you choose?
I’d love to hear your thoughts….please leave a comment below!
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Hard work… Yes I can!
Love your encouraging and logical words!
Congrats on the birth of your grand baby!
Wonderfully well spoken and a good reminder for me! Thanks!
So true, Charlotte! I always have to remind myself that it’s hard to work out today, but it is harder to hurt tomorrow. Your first paragraph above describes me perfectly, and the truth is that if I work out, the pain mostly goes away. If I coddle myself and decide I just can’t do it, within a couple of days the pain is much worse. It’s an obvious choice, but that doesn’t make it always easy to choose correctly. I have to keep remembering!
Congratulations on Norah’s birth!!! May the LORD continue blessing your family 🙂 — Charlotte, thank you so, so much for your encouraging words. I really needed this today. Today is (prayerfully) the first day of the rest of my life. I’ve just started t-tapping (again), and have been scared to, because I don’t want to “just begin” something and just leave it. The truth is that even though I WANT all this good stuff in my life, and the benefits of it all, I want it all instantly and with as little effort as possible. I need to learn to really get doing the hard work. One of my favorite scriptures is Gal. 6:9- …. in DUE time we shall reap, IF we faint not. I share it often, but I NEED to REALLY, TRULY take it to MY heart. Thank you so much for your encouragement. God bless you … and keep you safe on your trip 🙂
I needed that; thank you.
Dear Charlotte,
I just read “This Kid Will Never Be Potty Trained” and wanted to comment. Thanks for being such a shining example of an “older” woman I can look up to with thankfulness and a dose of hope in the realities 😀
I found you through T-Tapp, and am just embarking on my journey there – can relate to the tears on the edge of the bed – but have been most inspired by YOU among all the stories! A real, candid, sincere woman who I’ve never met but appreciate dearly.
Thank you muchly!
From one of the “younger” women growing into an “older” one as the Lord gives grace, wisdom and lots of humility 🙂
~Analene
So glad to encourage all of you! (I’m talking to myself, too, you know!)
Hi Charlotte. It has been quite a while since I last spoke with you. It is very “providential” with your sharing thoughts for today on t-tapp. Have been away for quite a while Once in a while I see or catch glimpes (?) of your quotes you have made from your e-book that I bought about nothing will be any different about my physical self 6 weeks from now if I don’t make or decide to make a change to t-tapp ,etc (my paraphrase).
Well this morning as I listened to my daily essential oil mentor call, my upline talked about doing or making the choice to be consistant in the very seemingly small little things. and that they aren’t even hard things. Also that if I don’t do anything ,I will still be in the same place as I am now.
It is ,to me , interesting that this idea has really being brought home to me more and more everyday!!
I just want to say to you ,that I am so grateful to you and your inspiration. I pray that you will and continue to be God’s messenger of hope.
Will miss seeing you at the Retreat. Enjoy![[[HUGS!!!]]]
sheryl
Hi Sheryl,
Sounds like God is trying to tell you something. 🙂 Thank you for taking time to write to encourage ME. We’ll miss you at the Retreat!